Netflix Renews ’13 Reasons Why’ for Season 2
Netflix announced Sunday that the streaming service has renewed the critically acclaimed and controversial teen drama 13 Reasons Why for a second season.
The 13-episode Season Two will premiere in 2018 and “picks up in the aftermath of Hannah Baker’s death and the start of the characters’ complicated journeys toward healing and recovery,” Netflix said in a statement.
Brian Yorkey will return as the series’ showrunner, The Hollywood Reporter adds.
Season One – based on Jay Asher’s 2007 young adult novel – revolved around Baker’s suicide and the subsequent cassettes tapes she sent to classmates explaining her actions. Having exhausted the source material, it’s unclear which direction the series will go, but Yorkey has assured fans of the series that Baker (played by Katherine Langford) will return for the second season.
Despite the praise from fans and critics alike, 13 Reasons Why has also generated criticism and accusations that the series glamorizes teen suicide. As a result, Netflix added advisory warnings prior to streamed episodes.
“There has been a tremendous amount of discussion about our series 13 Reasons Why,” Netflix said in a statement Monday. “While many of our members find the show to be a valuable driver for starting important conversation with their families, we have also heard concern from those who feel the series should carry additional advisories.”
Selena Gomez, a producer on the series, downplayed the notion that the series could inspire copycats. “It’s going to come no matter what. It’s not an easy subject to talk about,” Gomez said, adding that producers wanted to “do justice” to the realism of the novel.